Database and SQLAlchemy

In this blog we will explore using programs with data, focused on Databases. We will use SQLite Database to learn more about using Programs with Data. Use Debugging through these examples to examine Objects created in Code.

  • College Board talks about ideas like

    • Program Usage. "iterative and interactive way when processing information"
    • Managing Data. "classifying data are part of the process in using programs", "data files in a Table"
    • Insight "insight and knowledge can be obtained from ... digitally represented information"
    • Filter systems. 'tools for finding information and recognizing patterns"
    • Application. "the preserve has two databases", "an employee wants to count the number of book"
  • PBL, Databases, Iterative/OOP

    • Iterative. Refers to a sequence of instructions or code being repeated until a specific end result is achieved
    • OOP. A computer programming model that organizes software design around data, or objects, rather than functions and logic
    • SQL. Structured Query Language, abbreviated as SQL, is a language used in programming, managing, and structuring data

Imports and Flask Objects

Defines and key object creations

  • Comment on where you have observed these working? Provide a defintion of purpose.
    1. Flask app object
    2. SQLAlchemy db object
"""
These imports define the key objects
"""

from flask import Flask
from flask_sqlalchemy import SQLAlchemy

"""
These object and definitions are used throughout the Jupyter Notebook.
"""

# Setup of key Flask object (app)
app = Flask(__name__) # flask database name shortened, variable used later
# Setup SQLAlchemy object and properties for the database (db)
database = 'sqlite:///sqlite.db'  # path and filename of database
app.config['SQLALCHEMY_TRACK_MODIFICATIONS'] = False
app.config['SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URI'] = database # sql used to access, manipulate database
app.config['SECRET_KEY'] = 'SECRET_KEY'
db = SQLAlchemy() 


# This belongs in place where it runs once per project
db.init_app(app)

Model Definition

Define columns, initialization, and CRUD methods for users table in sqlite.db

  • Comment on these items in the class, purpose and defintion.
    • class User
    • db.Model inheritance
    • init method
    • @property, @<column>.setter
    • create, read, update, delete methods
""" database dependencies to support sqlite examples """
import datetime
from datetime import datetime
import json

from sqlalchemy.exc import IntegrityError
from werkzeug.security import generate_password_hash, check_password_hash


''' Tutorial: https://www.sqlalchemy.org/library.html#tutorials, try to get into a Python shell and follow along '''

# Define the User class to manage actions in the 'users' table
# -- Object Relational Mapping (ORM) is the key concept of SQLAlchemy
# -- a.) db.Model is like an inner layer of the onion in ORM
# -- b.) User represents data we want to store, something that is built on db.Model
# -- c.) SQLAlchemy ORM is layer on top of SQLAlchemy Core, then SQLAlchemy engine, SQL
class Album(db.Model): # "User" is schema title for data, class is being defined
    __tablename__ = 'albums'  # table name is plural, class name is singular

    # Define the User schema with "vars" from object
    id = db.Column(db.Integer, primary_key=True) # class User takes data from db.Model (inheritance)
    _name = db.Column(db.String(255), unique=False, nullable=False)
    _artist = db.Column(db.String(255), unique=False, nullable=False)
    _songs = db.Column(db.String(255), unique=False, nullable=False)
    _streams = db.Column(db.String(255), unique=False, nullable=False)
    _release = db.Column(db.Date)

    # constructor of a User object, initializes the instance variables within object (self)
    def __init__(self, name, artist, songs, streams, release=datetime.today()): # initialize data, set variables and self values
        self._name = name    # variables with self prefix become part of the object, 
        self._artist = artist
        self._songs = songs
        self._streams = streams
        if isinstance(release, str):  # not a date type     
            release = date=datetime.today()
        self._release = release

    # a name getter method, extracts name from object
    @property # "get" to get values
    def name(self):
        return self._name
    
    # a setter function, allows name to be updated after initial object creation
    @name.setter # "update" used to change values later
    def name(self, name):
        self._name = name

        # a name getter method, extracts name from object
    @property # "get" to get values
    def artist(self):
        return self._artist
    
    # a setter function, allows name to be updated after initial object creation
    @artist.setter # "update" used to change values later
    def artist(self, artist):
        self._artist = artist
    
    # a getter method, extracts uid from object
    @property
    def songs(self):
        return self._songs
    
    # a setter function, allows uid to be updated after initial object creation
    @songs.setter
    def songs(self, songs):
        self._songs = songs

        # a getter method, extracts uid from object
    @property
    def streams(self):
        return self._streams
    
    # a setter function, allows uid to be updated after initial object creation
    @streams.setter
    def streams(self, streams):
        self._streams = streams
        
    # check if uid parameter matches user id in object, return boolean
    def is_name(self, name):
        return self._name == name

    
    # dob property is returned as string, a string represents date outside object
    @property
    def release(self):
        release_string = self._release.strftime('%m-%d-%Y')
        return release_string
    
    # dob setter, verifies date type before it is set or default to today
    @release.setter
    def release(self, release):
        if isinstance(release, str):  # not a date type     
            release = date=datetime.today()
        self._release = release
    
    # age is calculated field, age is returned according to date of birth
    @property
    def age(self):
        today = datetime.today()
        return today.year - self._release.year - ((today.month, today.day) < (self._release.month, self._release.day))
    
    # output content using str(object) is in human readable form
    # output content using json dumps, this is ready for API response
    def __str__(self):
        return json.dumps(self.read())

    # CRUD create/add a new record to the table
    # returns self or None on error
    def create(self): #create a user
        try:
            # creates a person object from User(db.Model) class, passes initializers
            db.session.add(self)  # add prepares to persist person object to Users table
            db.session.commit()  # SqlAlchemy "unit of work pattern" requires a manual commit
            return self
        except IntegrityError:
            db.session.remove()
            return None

    # CRUD read converts self to dictionary
    # returns dictionary
    def read(self): #read existing data
        return {
            "id": self.id,
            "name": self.name,
            "artist": self.artist,
            "songs": self.songs,
            "streams": self.streams,
            "release": self.release,
            "age": self.age,
        }

    # CRUD update: updates user name, password, phone
    # returns self
    def update(self, name="", artist="", songs="", streams=""): #update existing data with new data
        """only updates values with length"""
        if len(name) > 0:
            self.name = name
        if len(artist) > 0:
            self.artist = artist
        if len(songs) > 0:
            self.set_songs(songs)
        if len(streams) > 0:
            self.set_streams(streams)
        db.session.commit()
        return self

    # CRUD delete: remove self
    # None
    def delete(self): #delete an existing entry
        db.session.delete(self)
        db.session.commit()
        return None
    

Initial Data

Uses SQLALchemy db.create_all() to initialize rows into sqlite.db

  • Comment on how these work?
    1. Create All Tables from db Object
    2. User Object Constructors
    3. Try / Except
"""Database Creation and Testing """


# Builds working data for testing
def initAlbums():
    with app.app_context():
        """Create database and tables"""
        db.create_all() # add data to db file
        """Tester data for table"""
        u1 = Album(name='Watch', artist='Lil Uzi Vert', songs='1', streams='100000', release=datetime(2018, 1, 1))
        u2 = Album(name='The Melodic Blue', artist='Baby Keem', songs='16', streams='100000', release=datetime(2021, 8, 30))
        u3 = Album(name='Heaven or Hell', artist='Don Toliver', songs='7', streams='100000', release=datetime(2019, 6, 9))
        u4 = Album(name='Afterlyfe', artist='Yeat', songs='21', streams='100000', release=datetime(2023, 1, 5))


        albums = [u1, u2, u3, u4]

        """Builds sample user/note(s) data"""
        for album in albums:
            try: #try code, test for error. if error, error message, otherwise create user
                '''add user to table'''
                object = album.create()
                print(f"Created new name {object.name}")
            except:  # error raised if object nit created
                '''fails with bad or duplicate data'''
                print(f"Records exist name {album.name}, or error.")
                
initAlbums()
Created new name Watch
Created new name The Melodic Blue
Created new name Heaven or Hell
Created new name Afterlyfe

Check for given Credentials in users table in sqlite.db

Use of ORM Query object and custom methods to identify user to credentials uid and password

  • Comment on purpose of following
    1. User.query.filter_by
    2. user.password
def find_by_name(name):
    with app.app_context():
        album = Album.query.filter_by(_name=name).first() #only search through uids
    return album # returns user object

# Check credentials by finding user and verify password
def check_credentials(name):
    # query email and return user record
    album = find_by_name(name)
    if album == None:
        return False
        
#check_credentials("indi")

Create a new User in table in Sqlite.db

Uses SQLALchemy and custom user.create() method to add row.

  • Comment on purpose of following
    1. user.find_by_uid() and try/except
    2. user = User(...)
    3. user.dob and try/except
    4. user.create() and try/except
def create():
    # optimize user time to see if uid exists
    name = input("(Create)Enter the name:")
    album = find_by_name(name)
    try:
        print("Found\n", album.read())
        return
    except:
        pass # keep going
    
    # request value that ensure creating valid object
    artist = input("Enter the artist:")
    songs = input("Enter the songs:")
    streams = input("Enter the streams:")
    
    # Initialize User object before date
    album = Album(name=name, 
                  artist=artist,
                  songs=songs,
                  streams=streams
                )
    
    # create user.dob, fail with today as dob
    release = input("Enter the release date 'YYYY-MM-DD'")
    try:
        album.releaase = datetime.strptime(release, '%Y-%m-%d').date()
    except ValueError:
        album.release = datetime.today()
        print(f"Invalid date {release} require YYYY-mm-dd, date defaulted to {album.release}")
           
    # write object to database
    with app.app_context():
        try:
            object = album.create()
            print("Created\n", object.read())
        except:  # error raised if object not created
            print("Unknown error name {name}")
        
create()
Created
 {'id': 5, 'name': 'newalbum', 'artist': 'jaden', 'songs': '1', 'streams': '100', 'release': '03-20-2023', 'age': 0}

Reading users table in sqlite.db

Uses SQLALchemy query.all method to read data

  • Comment on purpose of following
    1. User.query.all
    2. json_ready assignment, google List Comprehension
# SQLAlchemy extracts all users from database, turns each user into JSON
def read():
    with app.app_context():
        table = Album.query.all() # search all init(columns)
    json_ready = [album.read() for album in table] # "List Comprehensions", for each user add user.read() to list
    return json_ready

read()
[{'id': 1,
  'name': 'Watch',
  'artist': 'Lil Uzi Vert',
  'songs': '1',
  'streams': '100000',
  'release': '01-01-2018',
  'age': 5},
 {'id': 2,
  'name': 'The Melodic Blue',
  'artist': 'Baby Keem',
  'songs': '16',
  'streams': '100000',
  'release': '08-30-2021',
  'age': 1},
 {'id': 3,
  'name': 'Heaven or Hell',
  'artist': 'Don Toliver',
  'songs': '7',
  'streams': '100000',
  'release': '06-09-2019',
  'age': 3},
 {'id': 4,
  'name': 'Afterlyfe',
  'artist': 'Yeat',
  'songs': '21',
  'streams': '100000',
  'release': '01-05-2023',
  'age': 0},
 {'id': 5,
  'name': 'newalbum',
  'artist': 'jaden',
  'songs': '1',
  'streams': '100',
  'release': '03-20-2023',
  'age': 0}]
def update():
    # optimize user time to see if uid exists
    name = input("(update)Enter the name:")
    album = find_by_name(name)
    try:
        print("Found\n", album.read())
        pass
    except:
        print("invalid album")
        return
    
    # request value that ensure creating valid object
    artist = input("Enter the artist:")
    songs = input("Enter the songs:")
    streams = input("Enter the streams:")
    
    # Initialize User object before date
    album = Album(name=name, 
                  artist=artist,
                  songs=songs,
                  streams=streams
                )
    
    # create user.dob, fail with today as dob
    release = input("Enter the release date 'YYYY-MM-DD'")
    try:
        album.releaase = datetime.strptime(release, '%Y-%m-%d').date()
    except ValueError:
        album.release = datetime.today()
        print(f"Invalid date {release} require YYYY-mm-dd, date defaulted to {album.release}")
           
    # write object to database
    with app.app_context():
        try:
            object = album.update()
            print("Updated\n", object.read())
        except:  # error raised if object not created
            print("Unknown error name {name}")
        
update()
Found
 {'id': 5, 'name': 'newalbum', 'artist': 'jaden', 'songs': '1', 'streams': '100', 'release': '03-20-2023', 'age': 0}
Updated
 {'id': None, 'name': 'newalbum', 'artist': 'jaden', 'songs': '5', 'streams': '0', 'release': '03-20-2023', 'age': 0}
# Find the album by name
def delete():
    name = input("(delete)which album to delete: ")
    album = find_by_name(name)

    if album is None:
        print(name + " not found")
        return

    with app.app_context():
        try:
            album.delete()
            print(name + " has been deleted")
        except:
            print("could not delete " + name)

delete()
newalbum has been deleted

Hacks

  • Add this Blog to you own Blogging site. In the Blog add notes and observations on each code cell.
  • Change blog to your own database.
  • Add additional CRUD
    • Add Update functionality to this blog.
    • Add Delete functionality to this blog.